Complete Game Notes
Game #20: Washburn (13-9, 10-6 MIAA) at Lincoln (2-17, 1-13 MIAA)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022
Time: 7:30 p.m. CST
Site: Jefferson City, Mo.
Live Stats: https://lubluetigers.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

Game #21: Lincoln at Emporia State (17-6, 12-5 MIAA)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022
Time: 3:30 p.m. CST
Site: Emporia, Kan.
Live Stats: https://esuhornets.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

Game #22: Lincoln at Fort Hays State (16-4, 11-4 MIAA)
Date: Monday, Feb. 14, 2022
Time: 5:00 p.m. CST
Site: Hays, Kan.
Live Stats: https://fhsuathletics.com/sidearmstats/mbball
Live Video: http://www.themiaanetwork.com/LUBlueTigers

THE TIP OFF:  The Lincoln men's basketball team has another busy weekend ahead, with three games over the next five days. The first will be at home, as LU concludes a three-game homestand by hosting Washburn in Jason Gym on Thursday (Feb. 10) at 7:30 p.m. CST. The next two games will be on the road, starting on Saturday (Feb. 12) with a 3:30 p.m. CST contest in Emporia, Kan. against Emporia State. Lincoln remains in the Sunflower State on Monday (Feb. 14) to take on Fort Hays State in Hays, Kan. at 5:00 p.m. CST.

FAST BREAKS
- Lincoln and Washburn will square off for the 37th time on Thursday, with WU leading the series, 32-4. WU has won four-straight against the Blue Tigers.

- On Saturday, Lincoln and Emporia State will meet for the 33rd time, with the Hornets leading the series, 19-13. Lincoln has won eight of its last 10 games against the Hornets.

- The Blue Tigers played Emporia State back on Jan. 1 in Jason Gym. The Hornets won, 76-69, for its second win in five years in Jefferson City. The Blue Tigers have won each of their last four games at Emporia.

- Lincoln has defeated Fort Hays State in each of the past four meetings in Jason Gym, but FHSU leads the series, 15-10.

PREVIEWING THE BLUE TIGERS:  Ni'Sean Rigmaiden (8.4 ppg.), Derrick Woods (9.3 ppg.) and Chuck Wilson (8.2 ppg.) are Lincoln's main scorers, with Rigmaiden also averaging 3.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds. Woods is averaging 3.9 boards and Wilson averages 4.5, while Destan Williams leads LU with 3.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game while scoring 8.9 ppg.

HEAD COACH ED WILSON:  Last spring, Ed Wilson was elevated to the position of interim head coach after serving as Lincoln's assistant coach the previous seven seasons. In that span, Wilson helped lead Lincoln to six postseason berths, including a trip to the semifinals of the 2019 MIAA Championship. Wilson has coached 16 Blue Tigers to some form of All-MIAA honor.

LAST TIME OUT
Lincoln 98, Pittsburg State 87
Lincoln made 16 three-pointers and shot .564 from the floor in a 98-87 win over Pittsburg State in Jason Gym on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 5). Both Mekhi Kimble and Derrick Woods shot 4-for-4 from beyond the arc, with Kimble scoring 17 points and Woods adding 16. Chuck Wilson and Ni'Sean Rigmaiden each scored 13 points, with Wilson pulling down a team-high six boards and Rigmaiden dishing eight assists.

Missouri Southern 63, Lincoln 62
The Blue Tigers lost a heart-breaker on Monday night (Feb. 7), as Missouri Southern rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit to beat Lincoln on a jumper with 0.2 seconds remaining. Lincoln had a balanced scoring attack, with Mekhi Kimble's 10 points leading LU on the evening.

SCOUTING THE ICHABODS:  Tyler Geiman is leading Washburn in nearly every category with 14.4 points, 6.6 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game. Jalen Lewis is also scoring in double digits with 13.3 points per contest, and Michael Keegan leads WU with 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks per night. Keegan also averages 5.8 rebounds.

WU HEAD COACH BRETT BALLARD: In his fifth season as the head coach of the Ichabods, Ballard has led to Washburn to more than 80 wins as well as the 2021 MIAA tournament title. He spent the previous four seasons at the DI level, with stints at Wake Forest and Tulsa, and he was the head coach at Baker from 2010-12.

SCOUTING THE HORNETS:  Tray Buchanan is one of the top scorers in the MIAA, as he leads Emporia State with 27.3 points per contest. He has crossed the 20-point threshhold 20 times this year, with eight 30-plus point performances. Next on the scoring chart is Jumah'Ri Turner with 19.9 points per night, while Mayuom Buom leads the Hornets with 5.1 rebounds per contest. Buom is averaging 8.7 points and Kaden Evans is next with 8.3 ppg.

ESU HEAD COACH CRAIG DOTY:  A three-time national champion head coach, Doty is now in his fourth season leading the Hornets. Doty led Graceland to the 2018 NAIA Division I national title, and won championships at Rock Valley in 2014 and 2016. This season, Doty has Emporia State off to a 17-6 start, with the Hornets in the mix for a top-four seed in the MIAA tourney.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS:  Jared Vitzum leads a Fort Hays State team that averages 70.2 points per night with 15.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per contest. Kaleb Hammeke averages 14.9 points and a team-high 3.6 assists per contest, while Nyjee Wright is averaging 11.3 points, 2.0 assists and 3.1 rebounds. FHSU is allowing opponents to score just 59.4 points per contet, and out-gains opponents in rebounding, 35.5-29.6, per night.

FHSU HEAD COACH MARK JOHNSON:  The all-time wins leader at Fort Hays State, Johnson has more than 350 victories with the Tigers and has led FHSU to seven appearances in the NCAA tournament. The Tigers have won at least 20 games in nine seasons under Johnson, with three players earning All-American honors.

THREE PARTY:  The Blue Tigers exploded for 16 treys in a win over Pittsburg State, and have been one of the MIAA's best three-point shooting teams in 2021-22. Lincoln has made 159 treys on the season for an average of 8.4 per game, the sixth-best in the MIAA. Lincoln is also seventh in the league in three-point shooting percentage (.358). Mekhi Kimble is shooting .457 from beyond the arc, and Ni'Sean Rigmaiden is shooting .409.

HELPING HANDS:  The Blue Tigers are doing a good job moving the ball, as Lincoln currently ranks sixth in the MIAA in assists with 13.1 per contest. LU is led in this stat by Destan Williams, who is averaging 3.6 assists, the fifth-most in the league. Ni'Sean Rigmaiden is 11th in the league with 3.1 assists per contest.

LU IN THE MIAA:  The Blue Tigers rank highly in the league in several statistics, including rating fourth in the MIAA with 8.9 offensive rebounds per game. Lincoln also is sixth in three-pointers made per game (8.4), is third in the league in fewest fouls (321), and LU is sixth in assists per game (13.1) as well as eighth in the MIAA in rebounds per contest (33.0).

GET YOUR TICKETS:  Lincoln is partnering with Hometown Ticketing once again to sell tickets to all of LU's basketball games online in 2021-22. For more information, visit www.LUBlueTigers.com/Tickets.

JOIN THE CLUB:  The Blue Tiger Athletics Club is a great way to engage with other LU fans while supporting Lincoln student-athletes. Every dollar raised by the club goes towards scholarships, improving facilities and purchasing equipment. To join the BTAC, or to learn more, please visit www.LUBlueTigers.com/BTAC.

WATCH LIVE:  Fans who are unable to attend a game in person will still be able to cheer on the Blue Tigers to victory via The MIAA Network. All 12 LU home games will be broadcast through a new multi-camera system and can be seen at www.TheMIAANetwork.com/LUBlueTigers.

GEAR UP FOR THE GAME:  Lincoln fans can get everything they need for the game at www.BlueTigersStore.com, the official online store for LU athletics. Everything from jerseys to office supplies can be found on the site, with a portion of all sales going to benefit Lincoln athletics.

NEXT UP:  Lincoln is home for its next three games, starting next Thursday (Feb. 17) with a 7:30 p.m. CST game vs. Fort Hays State.